Crater of Diamonds State Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Crater of Diamonds State Park
Digging for diamonds, 2007
Crater of Diamonds State Park Location in Arkansas Show map of Arkansas Crater of Diamonds State Park Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Murfreesboro, Pike, Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas, United States
Area	911 acres (369 ha)
Established	1972
Named for	Diamond mine
Governing body	Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Website	Crater of Diamonds State Park

Crater of Diamonds State Park is a special state park in Pike County, Arkansas, in the United States. It covers about 911 acres (369 hectares). The park is famous for its 37.5-acre (15.2 ha) plowed field. This field is the only place in the world where you can dig for diamonds and keep what you find!

People have been finding diamonds here since 1906. One famous diamond found was the Strawn-Wagner Diamond. The area became a state park in 1972. This happened after the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism bought the land. Before that, different companies ran it as a place for tourists to visit.

History of Diamond Discoveries

A newspaper ad from the early 1900s about diamond mining in Arkansas

In August 1906, a farmer named John Huddleston found two unusual crystals on his farm near Murfreesboro, Arkansas. The next month, John and his wife, Sarah, sold the rights to their farm to some investors from Little Rock. These investors wanted to see if the land truly had diamonds.

After 1906, people tried to mine diamonds on a large scale. But these attempts usually failed. Most of the diamonds found came from the top layer of soil. Over a long time, rain and wind had washed diamonds into this layer. In the early days (1907–1932), many diamonds were found in this "black gumbo" surface.

Old mining equipment often missed smaller diamonds. These tiny gems ended up in the park's drainage areas. Today, these small diamonds are what many visitors find when they dig.

The Diamond Rush and Boomtowns

When the first diamond was found, it caused a "diamond rush" in the area. Murfreesboro became a very busy "boomtown." Stories say that hotels in Murfreesboro turned away thousands of people. These hopeful diamond miners supposedly set up a tent city nearby. They called it "Kimberly," after the famous diamond area in South Africa.

However, records show that the town of Kimberly was actually a land project started in 1909. It was meant to be a new town, but the diamond excitement faded, and the project failed. Today, the Kimberly area is mostly farmland.

From Private Mine to State Park

During World War II, the U.S. government took over the mine. They wanted to get diamonds for the war effort. Diamonds were found, but it was very expensive to mine them with U.S. workers. After the war, the land went back to its previous owners.

From 1951 to 1972, different private companies ran the diamond site as a tourist spot. Howard A. Millar and his wife, Modean, opened their "Crater of Diamonds" attraction in 1952. Howard was a good writer and helped make the park famous. In 1956, a visitor found the Star of Arkansas, a beautiful 15.33-carat diamond.

Later, another tourist attraction opened nearby. This competition made both businesses weaker. In 1970, a company called General Earth Minerals (GEM) bought all the land. They later sold it to the State of Arkansas in March 1972 for $750,000. That's when it officially became Crater of Diamonds State Park.

Because of this park, and because Arkansas was the first place outside South Africa where diamonds were found in their original source, diamonds became a symbol for the state. A large diamond symbol has been on the state flag since 1912. Also, the Arkansas State Quarter, made in 2003, has a diamond on it.

Geology of the Diamond Crater

A wide view of the diamond field

The Crater of Diamonds is part of an old, eroded volcano that is about 95 million years old. Deep inside the Earth, hot liquid rock called magma brought the diamonds to the surface. These diamonds formed very, very deep in the Earth's upper mantle. They were picked up by the magma as it traveled upwards.

Geologists have studied this area to understand how the diamonds formed. One geologist, Roland Everett Langford, wrote about it in 1973. Later, another geologist, Dennis Dunn, did more research in 2002. He found that the diamonds came from a special type of rock called lamproite.

Most diamonds around the world come from a different type of rock called kimberlite. But the Crater of Diamonds is special because its diamonds come from lamproite. The Argyle diamond mine in Australia is another famous lamproite diamond source.

Fun Activities at the Park

Pool at Crater of Diamonds State Park

Crater of Diamonds State Park is famous for its 37.5-acre (15.2 ha) plowed field. Here, visitors can hunt for diamonds and other cool gems. On average, park visitors find about two diamonds every day!

The park has a visitor center where you can learn about the park's geology. There's also a gift shop and a cafe. You can also visit the Diamond Discovery Center. It teaches you how to look for diamonds. The park also has a water play area called Diamond Springs. There are also picnic spots and trails to explore. If you like camping, the park has 47 camping spots near the Little Missouri River.

The Diamond Search Field

The park is built over an old volcanic pipe made of lamproite rock. For a small fee, visitors can dig for diamonds and other gemstones. People who love to search for rocks are called rockhounds.

Park visitors find over 600 diamonds every year! These diamonds come in all sorts of colors and types. More than 29,000 diamonds have been found since it became a state park. The best part? You get to keep any gemstone you find, no matter how valuable it is!

Besides diamonds, you might find other cool gems. These include amethyst, agate, and jasper. You might also find about 40 other minerals like garnet, quartz, and calcite.

Famous Diamonds Found Here

The Esperanza Triolette Pendant

The Kahn Canary diamond in a ring